Waiting on Wednesday (20)

Waiting on Wednesday is an amazing weekly topic that is brought to you by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

June 19, 2012

A powerful debut novel about a young Marine's return home from Afghanistan and the new life and love he finds while fending off the ghosts of war.
When Travis Stephenson returns home from Afghanistan, his parents are on the brink of divorce, his brother has stolen his girlfriend and his car, and nightmares of his best friend getting killed keep him completely spooked. But when he runs into Harper Gray, a girl who despises him for trashing her reputation with a middle school lie, life actually starts looking up. As Travis and Harper see more of each other, he starts falling for her and a way through the family meltdown, the post-traumatic stress, and the possibility of an interesting future begins to emerge.
His sense of humor, sense of his own strength, and incredible sense of honor make Travis an irresistible and eminently lovable hero in this fantastic and timely debut novel.

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.
She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.
Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.
As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

Everneath was wonderful. I loved the mythology and tension in it. Brodi Ashton is an amazing story teller. All of her characters were really well-developed, and they all had their own prominent voice.

Nikki was well-written, but at times she annoyed me. I feel like Nikki was too indecisive and angsty. I’m sure if I were in her position, I would be the same way, but it just wasn’t very fun to read about. Cole was annoying, but he was also really amusing- so half the time I didn’t even notice how annoying he was being. Jack was really clingy. He was clingy throughout the whole novel, and I just couldn’t get over it. That being said, the characters were believable. They were stuck in these undesirable ruts, but that’s just how people are. I just wouldn’t want to be friends with them in real life.

I found the plot of Everneath really intriguing. I liked that once people went into the Everneath, they didn’t just stay the same. The story was crafted well. The world of Everneath was slightly complex, but it was explained in a non-confusing way so I didn’t have a problem understanding it. I couldn’t stop reading it, and I was completely sucked into the story. However, I wouldn’t say that Everneath is a ‘must-read’. If you’re looking for a well written paranormal story- then Everneath is the book for you. I personally found it hard to get past some of the character traits, but that’s my only complaint.

FTC- Received from Netgalley.

An Interview with Scott Tracey

I recently had the chance to interview Scott Tracey, author of the wonderful book Witch Eyes. I hope you enjoy the interview!

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1. What was the hardest part of writing Witch Eyes?

I think the hardest part was equally getting the voice right, and getting over writer's block. The book started out in third person, wasn't working like I wanted, and then I switched to first person and scrapped about 20K words. It took a couple tries to get the direction right, too. Then, the few times I got really stuck it was because I either was forgetting something, or hadn't delved deep enough into it. I spent a long time working on what I called "The Lost Day" which was a number of scenes that had to happen before the book got to the climax.

2. If you could tell anything to Braden, what would you want to tell him?

Don't trust anyone, I think would be my main bit of advice. But then again, I know what everyone in Belle Dam's motives actually are, so that's a factor. ;) I'm a lot more cynical then Braden, which made it a little challenging to write: he's smart, but in some ways he's also very naive. But yeah, especially in Belle Dam, that's advice that EVERYONE should take: don't trust anyone. Especially if they're nice to you.

3. Quick! Describe Witch Eyes in 4 words or less!

Witchy Romeo and Juliet. :)

4. Can you tell us anything about the sequel to Witch Eyes, Demon Eyes?

Demon Eyes delves a little deeper into what's really going on in Belle Dam, and we see Braden dealing with the fallout from the climax of Witch Eyes. He did some things, and had some things happen to him, and Demon Eyes is all about that old "actions have consequences" theory.

There's more to the city than just the Thorpes versus the Lansing, and that starts to come out. Drew gets a bigger role this time around, and he's one of my favorites. He's basically the color commentary this time around: Braden has some snark in him, but Drew takes it above and beyond.

Really, everything you need to know about Demon Eyes can be summed up in the first line: "Power is a problem," a dead man said to me.

5. Is there anything you would like to add?

Thank you so much for having me!

Fracture by Megan Miranda

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine
—despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?
Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

Fracture was a really good novel. I don’t think it will be on my list of favorites, but its definitely on my list of runner-ups for this year. Megan Miranda is a really talented writer. My only complaint is that there were a few moments where the characters annoyed me.

Delaney, though an interesting character, seemed sometimes too weak. I wanted to like and understand her, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I didn’t really have much of a problem with Decker. My biggest problem with him was some of his actions. They seemed forced, and he didn’t act very smart on some occasions.

I loved the plot of the novel, and I think it was executed really well. The pacing was timed perfectly, which made the story flow impeccably well. One of my favorite things about Fracture was how subtly brilliant it was. While I was reading it, it didn’t feel like I was reading a life changing book. After I was done reading it however, it was like this big bomb had been dropped. It slowly started to grow on me more and more.

I completely recommend Fracture. It has this slow burning impact that is just amazing.

FTC- Received for review.

Waiting on Wednesday (19)

Waiting on Wednesday is an amazing weekly topic that is brought to you by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

July 24, 2012

There’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…
Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—
The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.
And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.
Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.
Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.
Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

I initially didn’t want to write about The Fault in Our Stars. Nearly everybody who is in tune with the young adult book world knows about John Green’s new book. It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Green’s writing. I’ve loved his past three novels, and the books he has co-written- so it’s safe to say that I had high expectations for The Fault in Our Stars. Every single one of those expectations was met.

The Fault in Our Stars is an original, humorous, and deeply emotional read. The two main characters, Hazel and Augustus are both incredibly well developed. This is Green’s first time writing from the point of view of a girl, and he nailed it. Hazel was brutally honest about everything she was going through, both in terms of her cancer and in terms of just living and being a normal teenager. Hazel is someone that I could relate to. I would love to have a friend like her some day. Augustus is charming. Some would argue that he’s the male version of a MPDG (manic pixie dream girl), but I don’t think so. Gus was just as honest as Hazel, and I loved reading about him.

Nearly every review I’ve read of The Fault in Our Stars has mentioned how much the reviewer cried. Me and all those other reviews have that in common. Never in my life have I cried so much when reading a novel. Don’t let the possibility of tears keep you from reading The Fault in Our Stars. You should read it. Everybody should read it.

The Fault in Our Stars is a beautiful, heartfelt, luminous book that will stay in your head for ages after you’ve finished reading it. This has quickly become one of my favorite books. I applaud John Green for this brilliant piece of literature.

FTC- Bought.

 

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What did you think of TFiOS? Tell me in the comments! But please, no spoilers for those who haven’t read it!

Bittersweet Twitter Party!

Hey everyone!

Today I want to tell you about something that’s happening on January 19th- the twitter party for Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler! If you want to share the information about the party- which we’re calling Twittersweet- you can scroll down and get the code for either the big graphic (pictured below) or a small graphic (which I’ll put below the bigger one). Click on either graphic to be transported to a page on Sarah’s website that tells you more about Twittersweet!

 

<a href="http://sarahockler.com/twittersweet" target="_blank"><br /><br /><img border="0" width="" alt="Twittersweet" src="http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa410/zoestrickland/Bittersweetbigposter2.png " height=" " /></a>     <a href="http://sarahockler.com/twittersweet" target="_blank"><br /><br /><img border="0" width="" alt="Twittersweet" src=" http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa410/zoestrickland/twittersweetsmallicon2.jpg " height=" " /></a>

I think this twitter party is going to be pretty awesome, so you should totally come and join Sarah and me. You can win some really cool prizes, and talk about a really awesome book.

I hope to see you all there!

500 Followers Giveaway- Part 1

I recently hit 500 followers on this blog. Yay! In honor of hitting 500 followers, I thought I would give away some books. There will be two giveaways, one will be today and the other will be posted some time next week. This giveaway includes-

* 1 (ARC) copy of Living Violet by Jaime Reed
* 1 (ARC) copy of Fateful by Claudia Gray
* Tons of bookmark-type swag.
To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O’Malley

Scott Pilgrim's life is totally sweet. He's 23 years old, he's in a rock band, he's "between jobs," and he's dating a cute high school girl. Nothing could possibly go wrong, unless a seriously mind-blowing, dangerously fashionable, rollerblading delivery girl named Ramona Flowers starts cruising through his dreams and sailing by him at parties. Will Scott's awesome life get turned upside-down? Will he have to face Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends in battle? The short answer is yes. The long answer is Scott Pilgrim, Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life.

Holy graphic novel, Batman! I’d like to start off by saying that I’m not a big graphic novel reader. I had heard people talking about Scott Pilgrim and I figured that I had to get my hands on it, so I got it from the library. Scott Pilgrim is also a movie, but I haven’t seen it. I was pleasantly surprised by how good this graphic novel was. I think one of the main things I loved about it was that, when I was reading it, it didn’t seem like I was reading a graphic novel. It’s considered the graphic novel, but the illustrations seem like they’re a mix between comic book and manga.

I loved this story. Scott is so average, but when Ramona Flowers comes in- his world is turned around. It’s insta-love at it’s finest. Even though it’s insta-love, I didn’t have a problem with it because it works with the story. After all, it’s kind of hard to instantly love someone after you find out that you have to fight their seven evil ex-boyfriends. Scott is a character that I couldn’t help but love. I know so many people like him in real life. He’s awkward, cool-ish, and completely unsure of what he wants to do. Ramona is also really awesome. She’s a badass roller skating delivery girl. Also, the name Ramona Flowers is amazing.

I am so glad I read Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life. Now I need to go to the library to get the second book! Even if you’re not into graphic novels, I recommend Scott Pilgrim. It’s awesome.

FTC- Library.

Waiting on Wednesday (18)

Waiting on Wednesday is an amazing weekly topic that is brought to you by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

June 19, 2012

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

Restless souls and empty hearts

Brooklyn can't sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca visiting her dreams.

Nico can't stop. He's always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca's ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.

As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.

Chasing Brooklyn was… wow. This book was so amazing. Within the first fifty pages, I was crying. I didn’t stop crying until the very end of the book. Lisa Schroeder wrote a book with so much heart and soul that reading it in more than one sitting is nearly impossible. I devoured Chasing Brooklyn within a couple hours. When reading it, I often found myself holding by breath, waiting for what was going to happen next.

I felt so bad for Brooklyn and everything she was going through. I felt bad for Nico, as well. Chasing Brooklyn is told in verse, from alternating points of view. One point of view is from Brooklyn, who’s had struggled with Lucca’s death for the past year- and is now struggling with Gabe’s death too. Nico is Lucca’s brother, so I felt like his point of view was more hard hitting when it came to talking about Lucca opposed to talking about Gabe. Both voices were really strong and I loved how even though Brooklyn and Nico are totally different people, their thought processes intertwined and related to each other really well.

I fell in love with Chasing Brooklyn. I was hooked from the start of the book to the very end of it. Lisa Schroeder is not an amazing verse writer, but she also has the wonderful capability of making her books both crushingly dark and wildly hopeful at the same time. You really do need to read Chasing Brooklyn. It will remind you just how much the written word can capture your heart.

FTC- Bought.

Bay Area Book Events- Copperfields Books

Today I thought I would feature some of the upcoming Teen Book Events that will be at my local independent bookstore, Copperfields. Copperfields is awesome. It’s located in the Bay Area, and they have 6 locations (not including their 2 used bookshops). The three events I’m featuring right now are located in the Petaluma store. If you’re interested in attending any of these events, there will be a link you can click to find out more information.

Anna Carey, author of Eve

January 12, at 3:30 pm.

You can find out more about the event by clicking here.

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Marissa Meyer, author of Cinder

January 24, at 3:00 pm.

You can find out more about the event by clicking here.

 

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Lauren Myracle, author of Shine

January 26, at 3:00 pm.

You can find out more about the event by clicking here.

In My Mailbox (2)

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi of The Story Siren.

Here are the books I got this week!

Bought

Zombie Tag by Hannah Moskowitz

Received for Review

Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan

Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan

Other

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

-- I stumbled upon the movie Dorian Gray, starring Ben Barnes, when I was watching TV the other day. I missed the first 20 minutes of the movie, but saw the rest of it. I promptly decided that I needed to read the story it was based off of. I remembered my brother had a copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray (he received it as a gift a few years ago). Then, in true little-sister fashion, I took the book. I blame Ben Barnes.

 

What did you get in your mailbox this week? Put links to your IMM posts in the comments!

Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey

Braden was born with witch eyes: the ability to see the world as it truly is: a blinding explosion of memories, darkness, and magic. The power enables Braden to see through spells and lies, but at the cost of horrible pain.
After a terrifying vision reveals imminent danger for the uncle who raised and instructed him, Braden retreats to Belle Dam, an old city divided by two feuding witch dynasties. As rival family heads Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe desperately try to use Braden's powers to unlock Belle Dam's secrets, Braden vows never to become their sacrificial pawn. But everything changes when Braden learns that Jason is his father--and Trey, the enigmatic guy he's falling for, is Catherine's son.
To stop an insidious dark magic from consuming the town, Braden must master his gift—and risk losing the one he loves.

Witch Eyes was brilliant. It has action, romance, and magic- a trio that doesn’t always end well. In this case, it ended wonderfully. Tracey wrote a compelling, addicting novel that I couldn’t stop reading. I honestly have no complaints about Witch Eyes. It was a delightful read.

Braden was so amazingly realistic. I loved his need to be heroic and to make his own decisions. He didn’t take anybody’s crap and wouldn’t just sit there while other people went and saved the day. Braden is my kind of guy. And then there is Trey. Lovely, lovely Trey- who tries to tame Braden. Trey is simply adorable. I love the dynamic between Trey and Braden. The feud between the Lansings and the Thorpes added so much good tension to the story, which helped make it so addicting. The tension was electric.

Scott Tracey did an awesome job writing Witch Eyes. I highly recommend it! I can’t wait for the second book in the series- it can’t come soon enough.

FTC- Bought.

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

Hudson can't wait to get out of Watonka, her working-class town outside of Buffalo. Once upon a time, her talent as a skater was going to be her ticket out... but when her parents' marriage unraveled three years ago, so did her dreams. Now, she buries herself in making cupcakes for her mom's diner and imagining her parallel life where she went on to skate to glory. But when she gets a letter inviting her to audition for a skating scholarship *and* the hockey team asks for her help with their technique (read: free ice time for Hudson), it's impossible to ignore the signs. Is she ready to get back on the ice? Could this be her ticket out? Hudson's determined not to let anything stand in her way. But between baking and waitressing at the diner, the love triangle that's developing with two outrageously cute hockey boys, and the simmering drama with her best friend, her future is anything but certain...

This book is *so* adorable. It isn’t a secret that I’m a big fan of Sarah Ockler’s books. Her debut Twenty Boy Summer awed me with how well Ockler could capture the teen voice. Her sophomore novel Fixing Delilah was adorably and brutally honest. And now there’s Bittersweet- her third novel. I had really high expectations for Bittersweet. Every single one of those expectations was met.

Hudson is an awesome main character. Her parents breaking up really changes her, but she makes the best of it. Instead of moping about the separation during the book, she decides to make the best of the situation that’s been handed to her. Yes, she stopped figure skating- her dream. But she started making cupcakes (all of the cupcakes she makes sound so yummy) and helping out her mom. Hudson had such a strong voice, and Ockler nailed writing it.

I loved that Bittersweet didn’t just focus on one thing. It had the light and fluffy bits- cupcakes (yum!), ice hockey, and adorable hockey boys. It also had a more serious, thoughtful side- Hudson dealing with her parents divorce, her own personal struggles while trying to figure out her future, and just general teenage angst.

I highly recommend Bittersweet. If it were up to me, I would make you all go out to your local independent bookstore and buy a copy right now. Bittersweet is an adorable novel that has more than what meets the eye. Sarah Ockler is an extremely talented writer.

FTC- Received for review

Waiting on Wednesday (17)

Waiting on Wednesday is an amazing weekly topic that is brought to you by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.
 
Edit- I know it's not Wednesday. I accidentally scheduled this for the wrong day.  Sorry!


For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
June 12, 2012
Generations ago, a genetic experiment gone wrong—the Reduction—decimated humanity, giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.
Eighteen-year-old Luddite Elliot North has always known her place in this caste system. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family’s estate over love. But now the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress and threatening Luddite control; Elliot’s estate is floundering; and she’s forced to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth—an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliott wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she abandoned him.
But Elliot soon discovers her childhood friend carries a secret—-one that could change the society in which they live…or bring it to its knees. And again, she’s faced with a choice: cling to what she’s been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she’s ever loved, even if she has lost him forever.

An Interview with Daisy Whitney

Today I have the lovely Daisy Whitney author of The Mockingbirds here for an interview. The paperback of The Mockingbirds is released today and the sequel The Rivals will be released February 6th. I hope you enjoy the interview!

1. What was the hardest scene to write, in The Mockingbirds?
The second chapter was the hardest to write because that's the chapter when Alex starts to process that a crime has been committed against her, only she's very much in denial. So writing that required a delicate balance because I knew of course what had transpired but she wasn't sure at all yet!

2. In both The Mockingbirds and The Rivals, you list "classic" books that share themes with your books. Do you know of any young adult books that are similar to The Rivals and The Mockingbirds? If so, which YA books are they?
My book has been described as a cross between SPEAK and THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU BANKS. So I would definitely say those books are similar thematically to mine. I also think PAPER COVERS ROCK by Jenny Hubbard, a Delacorte novel (June 2011), is similar because it deals with things gone wrong at a boarding school.

3. What one thing would you like readers to take from reading your books?
Whatever they need or want! Seriously. I'm always amazed at what readers tell me they take away from my stories and it's often different for everyone. That's the beauty of reading -- it's such an individual experience and you take away what you NEED to take away from a story. For instance, in Suzanne Young's new novel A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL what impacted me was the idea of memory and what it means to remember, or not remember, someone you love. Other readers have taken away themes of sacrifice and kindess to strangers. So, for my books - some people may be impacted by the love stories in them, some by the pain, some by the themes of justice, standing up and doing the right thing, and some may simply like the mysteries!

4. Do you have any upcoming novels you can tell us about?
I sold my third novel to Little Brown this summer! It's called WHEN YOU WERE HERE and it's described as Lost in Translation meets Where She Went. It's the story of an American teenager who travels from California to Tokyo to uncover the secrets surrounding his mother's death, all while trying to hold onto and let go of the girl he's been in love with his whole life. It's about big loss and big love. About two-thirds of the novel is set in Tokyo so it was great fun for me to write about an international city that is tremendously hip, vibrant and exciting. It's slated for a 2013 release.

5. In The Mockingbirds, being a pianist plays a big part in Alex' life. Have you played or do you currently play any instruments?
I am the world's worst singer! I can't carry a tune to save my life. I did play piano for two years in 3rd and 4th grade and I did learn the chorus from Ode to Joy, and I can still play about 10 notes from it! But other than that, I am bereft of musical abilities. However, the way Alex feels about music is the way I feel about writing, so her passion and her connection to music was easy to write.

6. Is there anything you would like to add?

I love shoes, chocolate, my amazing dog, my kids, my hubby and I try to do crossword puzzles regularly to keep my brain sharp, but I rarely can finish them without looking up a few clues!

New Blog Background and New Years Resolutions

Hey everyone!

I hope you’re all having an amazing New Years Day. I just wanted to stop by and let you all know that I changed my blog background and header. I would love it if you gave me some feedback on whether or not you like it.

Fun Fact- This background and header are actually the same ones I had when I first started blogging. I’m still mulling over if I want it to use it.

In other news, I have some New Years blog-resolutions. In 2012, I would like to-

*Post nearly every day. I’ve been slacking on the posts recently, which I don’t like doing.

*I want to interact more with the blogging community. I used to talk to you all a lot, but as I’ve gotten more busy- I’ve stopped. I miss you!

*Like every year, I want to read more books than I have the year before. In 2011 I read 185 books, so my goal for 2012 is to read 200 books. Hopefully I make it!

Those are all the goals I’ve thought of at the moment, but I’m sure there will be more.

In relation to my goal to post nearly every day, there is a short-term goal I want to do. In January, so this month, I want to post something every single day. Hopefully I can do that.

In My Mailbox (1)

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi of The Story Siren.

This past week, I’ve acquired these amazing books.

Received for Review-

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Slide by Jill Hathaway

Bought-

The Complete Sherlock Holmes: Volume 1 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Complete Sherlock Holmes: Volume 2 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Damage by Anya Parrish

Received for Christmas/Hanukkah-

Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars by Nick James

Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey

Ruthless by Sara Shepard (not pictured)

Books Read in 2011

So, since 2011 is officially over- I want to provide you all with a list of books I’ve read in 2011. Without further to do, here are the books I’ve read in 2011-

1.Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer
2. XVI by Julia Karr
3. The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell
4. See What I See by Gloria Whelan
5. Tempestuous by Lesley Livingston
6. Haven by Kristi Cook
7. White Cat by Holly Black
8. All You Get is Me by Yvonne Prinz
9. The League of Dark Men by John Creasey
10. The Absolute Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
11. The Water Wars by Cameron Stratcher
12. Private by Kate Brian
13. Invitation Only by Kate Brian
14. Untouchable by Kate Brian
15. Radiance by Alyson Noel
16. The Lovers Dictionary by David Levithan
17. Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg
18. Rich and Mad by William Nicholson
19. Subject Seven by James A. Moore
20. Pink by Lili Wilkinson
21. The Locket by Stacey Jay
22. The Princes Bride by William Goldman
23. Wither by Lauren DeStefano
24. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
25. Back When You Were Easier to Love by Emily Wing Smith
26. Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
27. Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
28. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
29. Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
30. A Thousand Pieces of Gold by Ruthanne Lum McCunn
31. Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors
32. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
33. Father of Lies by Ann Turner
34. Rhymes with Cupid by Anna Humphrey
35. Existentialism: From Dostoevsky to Sartre
36. Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins
37. Notebooks by Albert Camus
38. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
39. Falling in Love with English Boys by Melissa Jensen
40. Betrayal by Lee Nichols
41. Skate Fate by Juan Felipe Herrera
42. Bad Apple by Laura Ruby
43. Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann
44. Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey leavitt
45. Chasing Alliecat by Rebecca Fjelland Davis
46. Shadow Walkers by Brent Hartinger
47. Clarity by Kim Harrington
48. Beyonders: A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull
49. 666 Park Avenue by Gabriella Pierce
50. Faking 19 by Alyson Noel
51. Art Geeks and Prom Queens by Alyson Noel
52. What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
53. Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott
54. Stay by Deb Caletti
55. Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt
56. Family by Micol Ostow
57. Falling Hard edited by Betsy Franco
58. Inexcusable by Chris Lynch
59. The Things a Brother Knows by Dana Reinhardt
60. Carmen by Walter Dean Myers
61. Real Live Boyfriends by E. Lockhart
62. Jumpstart the World by Catherine Ryan Hyde
63. Stolen: A letter to my captor by Lucy Christopher
64. The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti
65. Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti
66. The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti
67. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
68. You Are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay
69. Undead Much? by Stacey Jay
70. My So Called Death by Stacey Jay
71. Purge by Sarah Darer Littman
72. The Time-Traveling Fashionista by Bianca Turetsky
73. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
74. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
75. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
76. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
77. City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare
78. A Season of Eden by Jennifer Laurens
79. The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
80. Paradise by Jill S. Alexander
81. 1984 by George Orwell
82. Haunted by Joy Preble
83. The Sweetheart of Prosper County by Jill S. Alexander
84. Shift by Jeri Smith Ready
85. My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies by Allen Zandoff
86. Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson
87. OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy
88. Love Story by Jennifer Echols
89. Die for Me by Amy Plum
90. Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz
91. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
92. A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young
93. Displacement by Thalia Chaltas
94. The Rivals by Daisy Whitney
95. Bitter End by Jennifer Brown
96. Love, Love, Love by Deborah Reber and Caroline Goode
97. Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris
98. The Absolute Value of Mike by Kathryn Erskine
99. Deamland Social Club by Tara Altebrando
100. Fairy Bad Day by Amanda Ashby
101. Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma
102. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
103. Possession by Elana Johnson
104. The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder
105. Blood Red Road by Moira Young
106. But I Love Him by Amanda Grace
107. Luminous by Dawn Metcalf
108. Wildefire by Karsten Knight
109. Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey
110. Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact by A.J. Hartley
111. The Amanda Project: Revealed by Peter Silsbee
112. Blood Ties by Mari Mancusi
113. Clean by Amy Reed
114. Purple Daze by Sherry Shahan
115. The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June by Robin Benway
116. Nothing Like You by Lauren Strasnick
117. The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk
118. Fury by Elizabeth Miles
119. You Wish by Mandy Hubbard
120. Falling Under by Gwen Hayes
121. Possess by Gretchen McNeil
122. The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
123. Crush Control by Jennifer Jabaley
124. Crush: 26 Real Life Tales of First Love
125. Nocturne by Christine Johnson
126. The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd
127. Love You, Hate You, Miss You by Elizabeth Scott
128. Triangles by Ellen Hopkins
129. Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray
130. Hello, Gorgeous: Blowout by Taylor Morris
131. The Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon
132. The Magnolia League by Katie Crouch
133. Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers
134. Elixir by Hilary Duff
135. The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
136. Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik
137. Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles
138. Ripple by Mandy Hubbard
139. Alexis by Alexis Singer
140. Every You, Every Me by David Levithan
141. Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles
142. A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines
143. Sharks and Boys by Kristen Tracy
144. Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay
145. A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
146. Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe
147. Fateful by Claudia Gray
148. Hello, Gorgeous: Foiled by Taylor Morris
149. Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala
150. How to Ruin My Teenage Life by Simone Elkleles
151. How to Ruin My Boyfriends Reputation by Simone Elkeles
152. There is No Long Distance Now: Very Short Stories by Naomi Shihab Nye
153. The Crack Up by F. Scott Fitzgerald
154. Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
155. Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez
156. The Boy on Cinnamon Street by Pheobe Stone
157. The Poison Eaters by Holly Black
158. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
159. Forgiven by Janet Fox
160. Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler
161. BFF Breakup by Taylor Morris
162. Bloodborn by Karen Kincy
163. Look at the Birdie: Unpublished Fiction by Kurt Vonnegut
164. Scott Pilgrim's Previous Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley
165. Bleed by Laurie Faria Stolarz
166. Dead Rules by Randy Russell
167. Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder
168. After Obsession by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel
169. The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
170. Pretty Bad Things by C.J. Skuse
171. Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen
172. Love Com #1 (manga)
173. Love Com #2 (manga)
174. Love Com #3 (manga)
175. Dear Bully edited by Megan Kelly Hall
176. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
177. Everneath by Brody Ashton
178. Crazy by Amy Reed
179. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
180. Living Violet by Jaime Reed
181. The First Time: Short Stories
182. Sixteen edited by Donald R. Gallo
183. Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey
184. Maus by Art Spiegelman
185. Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars by Nick James